


The Right Buttons

by Dana



Category: Life on Mars (UK)
Genre: Established Relationship, Gene in 2006 is the best AU okay, M/M, references something I hope to finish ONE OF THESE DECADES
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 03:51:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5524364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dana/pseuds/Dana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam gets Gene a present.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Right Buttons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rebelxxwaltz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebelxxwaltz/gifts).



> MERRY CHRISTMAS, **REBELXXWALTZ**!  <3<3<3 This was a card ficlet that didn't get printed out because my printer died a horrible death. Posted here because Rebel was okay with that! Totally unbetaed, Gene in 2006+AU, with established relationship Sam/Gene! Just a few of my favourite things ;) ;) ;)

'It's a mobile phone,' Sam says, wincing as Gene bangs it against the edge of the desk. For his first Christmas in this... whatever it is, coma dream, or straight up afterlife, Gene's less than impressed. Oh, the decorations are spot on – Sam certainly knew what to whip up in the kitchen, and dinner was a marvel as well. They did the requisite amount of stomping about the city, looking at the lights and basking in the festive cheer. Mostly that was for Gene more than it was for Sam, because – well, suffice it to say, Manchester's changed in the last thirty-three years.

More importantly, Sam's figured him out, knows how to push all the right buttons, even knows how to get Gene to smile from time to time – this isn't exactly the sort of present he might have hoped for, that's all.

'What did I do again, to get stuck here with you?'

'Sometimes I ask myself the same thing.' Sam sighs. 'Look, you don't like it – that's fine. I can return it, there's no problem, I...'

Gene kisses him to quiet him up – it works like a charm, and Sam gapes at him, afterwards, then grins like a sap. 'You like it. You're all bluster, but you're just bluffing.'

'I did need a new paperweight – this should work perfectly.'

Sam rolls his eyes, sighing again. 'You don't need a paperweight when you don't do your paperwork.'

'Oi, my work gets done – promptly, I might add.'

'Yes, but that's just because you've got Maggie wrapped around your little finger. She's not your personal secretary, Guv.'

'And I'm not your Guv anymore, but there we go – look, what more can I say? The Gene Genie's still got it.'

Sam sighs a little, but he can't help but smile. 'Here, let me show you how it works.' Gene scowls at him but lets Sam pluck the thing from his hand, where he flips the top open, revealing a number of buttons and a shiny, brightly lit screen. 'It's nothing fancy, but you can learn how to text, and I can show you how to answer calls...'

'This another one of your jokes?'

Sam rolls his eyes and the mobile phone snaps shut with a click. 'It's simple to use, but if you get the hang of it maybe I'll get you something a bit more hi-tech.'

He doesn't _want_ hi-tech, though they both know he appreciates the wide array of westerns available on DVD – most of them presents bought for him by Sam, soft touch that he is. The flat screen telly's a nice touch too, though not the thing that lurks inside in the dark. He doesn't think about it too much, and he doesn't talk about it, either – the one time they almost _did_ talk about it, Sam knew more about whatever it was than made Gene comfortable. For all he doesn't want to be here at all, if he didn't have Sam... well, it wouldn't be pretty.

He glares at Sam, who's hopeful expression wilts around the edges. 'I repeat myself: this another one of your jokes? I still haven't forgiven you about that thing with the clown.'

Sam sighs loudly, throwing his hands up in the air. 'I keep telling you, I had nothing to do with that! For as much as I do know, I'm just as lost as you are when it comes to how any of this works! I just...' He shakes his head, presses one of his hands to Gene's chest – the one not holding onto the phone. 'I'm just glad that you're here. That you...' He pauses, looking for the right word. 'That you're real.'

Gene continues to scowl. Sam's glaring back now, and Gene's torn between hitting him or kissing him. He decides on the latter choice, which works as surprise attack – he pushes Sam back, and they both tumble down onto the sofa, one of Sam's arms still caught between their bodies. Sam wriggles beneath him and Gene plants his knee between Sam's legs, catching the wrist that's attached to the hand that's holding onto the phone.

'Gene – '

'Shush up, Dorothy,' he snaps, and Sam rolls his eyes, doing some more wriggling.

'So,' Sam smirks, 'do you not like your present?'

'The phone's fine,' Gene replies, squeezing Sam's wrist until he drops the phone – after that, Gene relents. 'If this is the sort of thing I'm going to have to put up with, stuck here in this bloody nightmare, at least I can always look forward to unwrapping _you_.'

He doesn't think that Sam does this for his sake alone – act extra appreciative of his romantic swagger, if Gene should even call it that. The Sam he knows from 1973 was always missing something, other than just missing the majority of his marbles – and this Sam is missing the same thing.

'You mean it, yeah?'

Sam wriggles beneath him, then nods. 'Yeah, I do.'

Gene searches Sam's face, gazing into the truth. Even if he never wakes back up, at least he gets to have Sam.


End file.
